'Terrorists to the Bone' are what the accused 9/11 suspects have declared themselves as. Jess Bravin of the Wall Street Journal writes, "Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and four other accused in the Sept. 11, 2001 conspiracy called U.S. allegations 'badges of honor' in a written statement slated for public release Tuesday." Also in the statement, an ending "praising the 19 suicide-hijackers and predicting America's demise. 'You will be greatly defeated in Afghanistan and Iraq,' it says, later adding: 'Your fall will be just as the fall of the towers on the blessed 9/11 day.'" So what does their defense have to say? According to the appointed military attorney, "'there is no evidence that Mr. al Hawaswi knew about, read or signed th[e] document [because] it is a typed message in English with no signature.'"
Spending too much on prisons?: Solomon Moore, of the New York Times, writes that "states have shown a preference for prison spending even though it is cheaper to monitor convicts in community programs, including probation or parole." According to a Pew study, these high costs towards prison spending has cut into programs such as education and health care. Brian Walsh, a fellow researcher of the conservative-leaning, Heritage Foundation, argues, "the reality is that one of the reasons crime rates are so low is because we changed our federal and state systems in the past two decades to make sure that people who commit crimes, especially violent crimes, actually have to serve a significant sentence."
Guilty plea for corruption: Ann Copland, Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran's former aide, plead guilty to corruption charges Tuesday. The story by Nedra Pickler, of the Associated Press, states, "Ann Copland admitted to U.S. District Judge Richard Roberts that she took $25,000 to $30,000 in gifts in exchange for helping one of Abramoff's top clients, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians." Copland is not alone with such charges though, she just happens to be "the latest among more than a dozen congressional aids, lobbyists, lawmakers and Bush administration officials convicted as part of a lobbying scandal spawned by Abramoff, a former high-flying influence peddler now serving a four-year prison term."
Spending too much on prisons?: Solomon Moore, of the New York Times, writes that "states have shown a preference for prison spending even though it is cheaper to monitor convicts in community programs, including probation or parole." According to a Pew study, these high costs towards prison spending has cut into programs such as education and health care. Brian Walsh, a fellow researcher of the conservative-leaning, Heritage Foundation, argues, "the reality is that one of the reasons crime rates are so low is because we changed our federal and state systems in the past two decades to make sure that people who commit crimes, especially violent crimes, actually have to serve a significant sentence."
Guilty plea for corruption: Ann Copland, Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran's former aide, plead guilty to corruption charges Tuesday. The story by Nedra Pickler, of the Associated Press, states, "Ann Copland admitted to U.S. District Judge Richard Roberts that she took $25,000 to $30,000 in gifts in exchange for helping one of Abramoff's top clients, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians." Copland is not alone with such charges though, she just happens to be "the latest among more than a dozen congressional aids, lobbyists, lawmakers and Bush administration officials convicted as part of a lobbying scandal spawned by Abramoff, a former high-flying influence peddler now serving a four-year prison term."
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